Page 27 of Fourth

She writhed against him, nails biting into his shoulders, and he registered the sharp sting of each mark, though it barely registered past the storm building inside him. His body urged him forward, driven by an impulse older than memory, while another part of him—the part trained for command, for discipline—held tight.

He wasn’t just reacting. He was aware. Fully, painfully aware of every choice he made, of every breath she took beneath him. And still he hesitated, locked in that narrow space between giving in completely and holding back, caught on the knife-edge between impulse and command. Not lost in impulse, not fully. He saw the awareness in her eyes. She knew. And she wanted it. Wantedhim.

Every muscle in his body went tight with restraint.

But it wouldn’t hold forever.

When she arched up into him, Riv’En held steady for a moment, breath locked in his throat. Her body pressed against his with desperate urgency, heat and need sparking between them in a pulse older than reason. He didn’t pull back. Instead, he adjusted his hold, shifting slightly to align their bodies more fully, muscles flexing as he settled his weight just enough to secure her beneathhim.

It wasn’t rough, but it wasn’t gentle either—it was a claiming, driven by compulsion so deep it was like breathing. He watched her, eyes locked on hers, waiting for the smallest flicker of resistance. There wasn’t any. Heat ripped through her. Need rose until nothing remained but compulsion.

Her breath broke against his mouth.

Unable to resist, he kissed her again. This time deeper, slower, devouring her breathless gasps and every ragged sound she made. His hands slid up her sides as he did, palms skimming over flushed skin, memorizing every inch. Her body arched beneath him, soft and yielding, but not passive. Her hands tugged him closer, nails scoring down his back, each sting like fuel. It wasn’t just need anymore. It was need fused with certainty, deeper than thought. It was choice. It was her. And he gave in toboth.

Riv’En’s hands tightened on Maya, drawing her closer until there wasn’t a breath of space left between them. The heat of her skin seared into him, an ache so sharp he suspected it could shatter bone. His focus, what little of it remained, collapsed the moment her legs wrapped aroundhim.

He settled fully over her, braced on his forearms to keep from crushing her, though it took every ounce of strength not to simply claim her in one brutal motion.

He dragged his mouth down her body, each inch an unhurried exploration. His breath fanned hot over the curve of her breast, lingering at the peak to graze her nipple with the flat of his tongue before closing his mouth around it in a slow, possessivepull.

Her body arched under him, the taste of her skin and the soft, keening sounds she made driving him harder than battle ever had. He trailed lower, tracing the underside of her breast,then down over her ribcage, leaving a slick path in his wake. He paused just above her navel, and she tensed beneath him, while he savored the tremble of her muscles, tasting salt and heat on herskin.

His tongue flicked out again, dipping lower in a teasing stroke that made her gasp, hips already moving as if her body knew what he was going to do before she did. Then he shifted down, settling between her thighs with purpose, his hands sliding under her to grip and tilt her up intohim.

Her legs opened for him, lifting in silent offering. Riv’En didn’t hesitate. His hands gripped her thighs, spreading her wider as his tongue slid through her folds in a slow, devastating stroke. The first taste of her hit him like a blow: sweet, sharp, overwhelming. His groan vibrated against her as he buried his face between herlegs.

Maya’s breath came in broken gasps. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling, securing herself as he worked. His tongue flicked and dragged, tracing every line, every slick pulse. Then he focused on her clit, lips closing around it in a slow, rhythmic suck that made her cry out, arching off the ground.

He didn’t stop. Not until she was writhing beneath him, thighs shaking against his shoulders, rolling helplessly in search of more. When she tightened, came close to the edge, only then did he slow, pulling back just enough to leave her breathless and trembling.

He shifted forward again, dragging his hands up her thighs, watching her shudder beneath his touch. His fingers traced over her, along the curve of her waist, memorizing every ripple of her skin. He brought one hand back between her thighs, sliding his fingers through her slick heat once more, circling her slowly,teasing, making sure she wasn’t just ready for him, but that she was desperate forit.

Only when her pulse quickened again, her muscles tightening in silent demand, did Riv’En shift forward. His cock pressed against her entrance, slow and relentless, the thick head pushing in inch by inch. He moved with exquisite care, letting her perceive everything—the ridged mounds pulsing in rhythm along his shaft, the stretch of him filling her gradually, until she took him fully.

He didn’t rush it. Didn’t let impulse take over yet. He braced himself, one hand gripping her hip, the other sliding up to cup her breast, fingers flicking lightly over her nipple as he pushed deeper. Only when her body fully open to him, when her breath hitched and her nails scraped along his back, did he finally shift forward and start tomove.

Her body clung to him, hot and slick, as he worked in deeper thrusts. Now was about building her desire slowly, letting every inch stretch her, letting her feel every ridge along his shaft. The subtle, vibrating mounds pulsed in rhythm, making her cry out, writhe beneath him, already close to breaking before he was even fully seated. He braced himself, muscles locked tight, rolling in a slow, relentless press.

It wasn’t just the size, it was the way her body clenched down around him, the way she locked in place beneath him. The full grip of her body surrounded him, aperfect fit that made his breath snarl out through his teeth.

His cock slid along her slick entrance, the thick head catching on her body as if even that was deliberate. Her body shuddered beneath him, asubtle yet delicious give of her heat against his shaft as he pressed forward, inch by inch. Theridged mounds pulsed where they touched her, sending tremors through hercore.

She was soaked, her body stretching to take him in, the first tight grip around just the head of him. She clenched reflexively, inner walls coated with her arousal, tightening with each slow push. Her breath hitched into a ragged cry, nails scraping across his back, her thighs trembling against his ribs. Every ridge, every pulse, dragged sensation through her, making her writhe, helpless against the slow, steady invasion.

The shaft wasn’t smooth. The rows of small, golden-brown mounds along his shaft vibrated in a slow, convoluted rhythm. He knew exactly what they did to her, the way her body reacted around him, clenching tighter with every pulse.

The sensation wasn’t just friction. It was deeper, designed for this exact moment. Her body tightened in sharp, involuntary waves, heat and pressure building around him with every flickering tremor. It wasn’t just about driving her to the edge. It was about holding her there, keeping her locked in that helpless, trembling state until he chose to push herover.

Her pulse raced against him, tension rippling through her, and it fed the storm burning through his blood, pulling him deeper into that unstoppable reflex. Asound tore from his throat—half- growl, half-broken groan.

Riv’En’s mouth found hers again, but there was no restraint this time. His kiss was consuming, deep and relentless, his tongue tangling with hers as he shifted, aligning. Every muscle in his body locked down as he pushed forward, driving forward with wild, unrelenting force, yet smooth as liquid heat. The thick length of him thrust into her again and again, not just inch by inch but in a steady, punishing rhythm that never faltered. Each stroke drove her down into the grass, his entire body locked inthat relentless motion, claiming her over and over until there was nothing left but the slap of skin and the visceral, notched sound of their breath.

Maya’s breath broke in a sharp, helpless cry beneath him. Her nails dug into his back, scoring down in frantic, uneven lines. He tolerated every scrape. Welcomed it. The scratches only added to the pulse of heat running through him, tightening every muscle until he vibrated with the need to move harder, faster.

Her body clung to him, tight and wet, surrounding him in heat that made it almost impossible to think. His head dropped to her shoulder as he drove deeper, harder.

“Maya.” Her name rasped from his throat, rough and unsteady. His teeth grazed the curve of her neck, sharp enough to sting but not breakskin.

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